


Of Spears and Red Wine

by maneetvespere2610



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Car Chases, Cats?, Crimes & Criminals, Guns, Kara is an art ho, Lena has catharsis we all know she would have eventually because come on, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, also, got inspired by britney spears bless her soul, mediterranean region
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-03-07 23:12:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18883210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maneetvespere2610/pseuds/maneetvespere2610
Summary: Add a large cup of Mediterranean region’s aesthetics, a little bit (a small glass, if you may) of romance, a little bit of thriller. A small spoon of ABBA and salsa dance. A big spoon of friendship and opening up to others as well as chasing passions and dreams. A dash of pop culture, art history and humour. Mix together and... voilà! A messy story, hopefully with a potential of being actually good!A.K.AKara is in Greece, Lena in the States. But somehow they find each other. With lots of obstacles and weird incidents along the way. Oh, and Kara has a cat.





	1. Chapter 1

Lena

It would be a lie to say that Lena started thinking about it after Lex’s arrest or after becoming the CEO of Luthor Corp (despite her reluctance and resentment towards doing so). To be completely honest, Lena started thinking about it when she was in high school. The atmosphere, the pressure, the state of things at home, the secrets, her sexuality- it all made her constantly question whether to do it or not. And then she did.

***

It happened on Friday. Normal friday evening. Some time after Lex’s arrest, less time after her enormous fight with Lillian, even lesser time after her becoming the CEO. Don’t get her wrong, she didn’t fight with her mother because she didn’t want to be on that stance or something. 

Even though Lillian loved her little, precious son, she knew that some things are about to change ever since she looked in the man’s eyes and saw pure madness. Hence, she made Lena learn all techniques and mechanisms behind working as a CEO more thoroughly. In short, Lena was well trained. So no, she didn’t fight about that. She actually fought about renaming the company and changing its policy. But that didn’t even matter now- her mother had practically nothing to say on the matter either way.

What mattered, however, was the situation Lena found herself in. Last month was full of meetings with most significant contractors, most of them being familiar with Lex from working together for a long time. But Lena wasn’t Lex. So the meetings were… tense, so to speak. Most of trade partners were men, which wasn’t unforeseeable. What came as a surprise to Lena was the way they speak to her. As if she still was  _ the Lena Lex’s Sister Luthor _ , not  _ the Lena Luthor _ . They often mentioned how they still remember her being a teenager. They often patted her on the back or arm. They often touched her hair, complimenting her. They all had fake smiles while doing so, though. They saw her as an easy target, even though she tried her best at the meetings to come across as an independent woman. A woman that ought to be taken seriously.

This whole situation got her thinking about the whole CEO thing. How fucked up one have to be to underestimate and disrespect other person, other equal, in this way, just because she is, what, a woman? Of course, she knew that she had to work for her image and she knew about inequalities in this world, she is not stupid after all. But even after showing the people who already knew her the most formal persona she could muster? That was just  _ low _ . She was feeling so  _ low.  _ So, she decided to get drunk, obviously.

And, obviously, right after becoming the CEO, she made a secret drawer in her office just for her alcohol. She stood up from the couch, ran her hands through her hair and loudly exhaling, went to said drawer.

This very decision started the domino effect that led to the most unexpected ending Lena could have ever imagined.

***

“Hello Karen,” Exiting the office, Lena extended her hand towards her assistant. She was soo sure Karen at some point in her life undoubtedly fucked with Lex. Soo sure. Sure. What a funny word. Anyways, back to talking to her. Why was she talking to her?

“Hello ms. Luthor, is there anything I can help you with?” Professional smile, a shake of hand. But Lena knew better. Even while being tipsy, she could easily spot a fake smile.  _ What? Like a CEO can’t drink after hours? _ God, she hated that woman even more because of that. Hell, why is this woman even here?

“Actually, I would like you to, well, how do one say it...? Ah yes, immediately dismiss an employee. Yes. Could you pass a message to this person?” Lena saw a small glint in Karen’s eyes. What a bitch.

“Yes! of course I can do that Ms. Luthor. who is it?”

Lena fake-pondered for a few seconds.

“It’s Karen ...Johnson?” Lena remembered the woman’s surname. She remembered names of all of her employees. The only Karen Johnson in the whole building was the one standing in front of her. Hell, she was the only  _ Karen _ . 

“Are you sure, miss?” she asked, her face pale, her eyes shocked, wide open. 

“Because that’s me,” She added, as if the other woman didn’t know that already.

Lena looked at her with a numb expression. 

“Yes, I am sure. You see, I like my closest employees being honest with me so you don’t qualify… also, I am pretty sure something happened between you and my brother, so there’s that…I’ve been patient but…” She trailed, knowing that the other woman would catch on.

Karen’s face underwent transformation from white to red in a matter of seconds. Quite impressive for Lena’s taste.  _ Bingo _ . They stood for a while in a silence, just watching each other. Karen seemed to be unable to formulate any answer whatsoever, she just looked straight at the other woman. Lena sighed. She put on her even more formal mask- no person will accuse her of firing somebody while being drunk. She wanted her assistant (soon to be ex assistant, thank god) to know that she is not, in fact, under  _ that great _ influence of alcohol.

“Karen Johnson, you are fired. I expect you to leave. You have time until tomorrow. Shall you have other plans that might form in your mind in your state of anger- as I presume it is building inside of you- I warn you that my guards will see your leaving done. Have a good night.”

_ Life isn’t that bad! Life, is in fact, quite nice. _

Now let’s go to the bar.

 

***

 

The pub was rather small and dimly lit. The interior gave a feeling of liberty and coziness, or so her tipsy mind told her when she first came here. Either way, she somehow felt more relaxed here ever since. Upon looking around, searching for familiar faces, she found none. She became even more calm- on one particularly bad evening she ordered her driver to take her far away from the central business district of the city in order to not be seen by people that she may know. The pub never disappointed her in that aspect.

“Hi, the same?”

Lena looked at the woman behind the bar. Jess. Lena met her some time ago, when she finally had a reason good enough to go to a bar. The last time she went out drinking was when she was a student, and then she decided to stop it once she finished school and became a working adult. But now that she knows the relationship between plans and life, she comes to the conclusion that that decision was pretty stupid.

“Yeah, whiskey please.”

“Coming right up,” She answered while polishing a glass with a pristine white cloth.

“Thank you, Jess.”

The woman smiled in an answer. She swiftly went for the bottle and, with an impressive precision, poured down the exact amount of whiskey that ought to be in a glass while writing down next orders from people. She gave Lena her order.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

***

“You know what, Jess, I’m gonna do it.”

Jess looked at her and shook her head, chuckling.

“Okay Lena, do it girl.”

Lena took a sip of her third drink. Fourth? She didn’t really remember.

“Yeah, I’m gonna do it. Actually, do you know anyone that can do it now?”

“Now?” Jess was surprised, but the smile was still visible on her face. Lena took her eyes off of the glass in her hands and looked at Jess, the determination set in her face clearly visible.  _ Man, that girl has been talking about ‘doing it’ for over an hour or so, there’s no backing away now, huh,  _ thought Jess.

“Duh. What did you think? Tomorrow?” She asked, confused. 

“Well…” Jess fiddled with the cloth, clearly confused.

“No. Today. So, Jess, do you know anyone?” Lena felt a little thrill saying that.

The bartender sighed and looked at her watch, then at Lena, then at her watch. She thought for a minute. The thing was, she knew very well what kind of people Lena might find in this neighbourhood if she was to search outside. Very bad at helping her. Probably more interested in taking money from her. Hence, Jess felt kind of responsible for her. Besides, Lena has been talking about her life for about 3 hours-just talking and drinking, all the time- and from what Jess has heard, she deserved this one thing

“I-...yeah, in fact, I can do it Lena.” she still looked unsure but the decision was made. 

Lena smiled a sincere smile. The second one that day, the first being the one she sent to her driver while thanking him. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, why not. I worked as-,” she stopped herself- they weren’t friends, so there’s no reason for talking about her past- then thought about better way to say it. “Let’s just say I am not unfamiliar with doing it. Besides, it is rather easy…” she trailed, not knowing what else to say, because what Lena was about to do  _ was _ easy.

“Yeah, I know it’s easy, it’s just that I don’t think I will be able to do it in my state,” she chuckled quietly, then became quiet and looked Jess in the eyes. “Okay, you will do it. When?”

Jess looked at her watch once more.

“My shift ends in 10 minutes.”

“Great. I’m going pee.”

***

“You sure about that?”

“ _ Yes, Jess.” _

“100%?”

“Yes, just do it, Jess.” Lena gripped arms of the chair she was sitting in. The room was small, which, combined with adrenaline, somehow made her feel a little claustrophobic.

“Hey, I just don’t want you to hate me tomorrow,” the voice answered behind her. “From what you’ve told me in the bar all those times you came, I deducted that you are someone important.” She added.

“Yeah, you could say that,”  Lena snorted quietly. “Oh, and when this whole thing is over, remind me to talk to you about tomorrow,” She added, gesticulating vaguely while ending the sentence.

“Okay, sure.”

Then Lena heard the buzz of the machine.

“You can close your eyes if you want, Lena,” Jess said quietly, as she started her work.

And so Lena did. Partly because she didn’t want to see the transitional state, partly because she liked to be dramatic.

“So Jess, you said you were familiar with it. How?” Lena asked because she couldn’t stand the sound of buzzing and silence. And she was just curious, sue her.

“Well, I worked in an animal shelter, so sometimes I had to do it.”

“Makes sense. Did you like it? Working there I mean?” Lena was intrigued.

“I was behind the desk most of the time, helping the boss and all that. It was fun, though. At least better than where I am working now, I guess.” Jess answered, completely unaware of the wheels that started to turn in Lena’s intoxicated albeit still clever mind.

“Huh,” she answered, deep in thought. A few long moments passed before the other woman spoke.

“Yeah… Anyways, I think my work is done,” Jess said, turning off the machine.

Lena opened her eyes. Looked at herself in the mirror. Then smiled at Jess.

“Thank you.”

Jess shrugged, smiling.

“You’re welcome.”

Lena looked at herself again.

She looked good. She looked great, dangerous, formal, less fragile. 

_ Take that, fuckers. Wonder how you will touch my hair now.  _

And finally, finally, Lena felt alive. 

The buzzcut was contrasting with her skin beautifully.

She started laughing.  _ Life is very nice! _

***

“So,” Jess started, while locking the doors to the small hair salon. “You wanted to talk about tomorrow?”

They started walking aimlessly down the street. Lena sighed, then looked at the other woman.

“Yeah, I… I have a proposition for you,” Jess looked at her, surprised. “Not that kind of proposition! It’s different.”

“Okay then… what is it?”

“Huh, you see, it might be a stupid question, but what’s your opinion about Luthor Corp? L-Corp?”

Jess looked straight, as if searching for something.

“In the past I kinda hated it, to be honest. But now I think things are about to change,” She trailed, then added quietly, “More so since you started managing it…”

Lena stopped abruptly, then looked at Jess, thinking.

“I should have known, you are smart after all,” she eventually whispered. “So, you don’t hate it?”

“No.”

“How about working for it?”

“What’s my opinion about working for it?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know. Must be pretty cool.”

“Do you want to? Work as my assistant, that is?”

Jess choked on, well, nothing, because they weren’t drinking, and started coughing. Eventually she spoke.

“Are you for real? You don’t even know me! Besides, what if I am shit at it?!”

“I am pretty sure you are not. You are good at multitasking, you like to keep your surroundings clean and organized, you worked as an assistant at the shelter. Sounds good to me. Besides, I let you cut my hair and you did it. Most people wouldn’t even touch a Luthor with a five-foot pole. The rest would do it only to kill me the second I close my eyes, I guess. So I trust you.”

Jess looked at her, deep in thought.

“Okay. I will do it. I get that that’s your form of payment for my work?”

Lena chuckled, Jess soon joined.

“Something like that.”

They started walking again.

“So hey, I guess I should repay you somehow-”

“Nonsense. I need an assistant that I can trust. How about we talk about specifics tomorrow? In my office?” Lena cut her and, after shuffling for a bit in her bag,  gave her her business card.

“Oh, okay, I guess. But I was thinking about, well, a meeting.” Jess said while putting the card in her wallet.

Lena looked at her interested.

“You see, I am meeting with my friends tomorrow evening and it would be great if you could come. They are nice, I swear.” Jess smiled.

Lena thought for a moment. It would be good to go, check how Jess acts around people. Whether she is polite, well mannered. Besides, she needs new friends because for now Jess is her only one. She and Sam, that is. 

“Okay.”

***

In a synchronised step, Lena and Jess, both dressed in a formal attire, walked out of the L-Corp elevator, the sudden rush of wind blowing their hair. They both looked straight, their eyes shielded by sunglasses.  _ Sick,  _ thought Jess.  _ I feel like I am in a spy movie.  _

The security guard smiled at them and nodded. 

“Goodbye, Ms. Luthor! Ms. Huang! Have a good day.”

“Goodbye, Richard! Give your wife and little Katie my best regards!”

“Will do, thank you.”

Jess held the door for Lena.

“Thanks.”

“No problem, boss.”

Black limo was waiting for them in front of the building.

“Hello Harold, take us to… Where are we going to exactly for this meeting, Jess?”

“The same bar we met at, actually. It's kind of  _ Our Place _ .”

“Oh, okay. To the bar, Harold, the same one. Please.”

“Very well then, Ms. Luthor.”

Even though last time Lena was tipsy, she remembered vividly from previous rides there, that getting there can get a while. 

“So, Jess, tell me something about your friends,” She turned to the woman sitting near her.

“Well, as far as I remember there will be Alex and Winn.”

“Two people then, two men…”

“Yeah, anyway-,”Jess stopped abruptly. “Wait… what? Winn is the only man.”

“Oh. Better, then.”

Jess then looked at her intently with a small smirk.

“Yeah… Anyways. I’ll just give you some advice. No point describing them- that is the point of the meeting.”

“Makes sense,” Lena said, intrigued.

“Yes, so…Alex. She likes science. You can talk about that. Just don’t talk about sexuality, relationships, that things, you know…” Jess was looking at the skyscrapers they were passing, as if they were helping her in building good list of do’s and don'ts. “And Winn. He loves comics and theatre, just don’t mention technology. That’s all.”

Jess turned from the window and set her eyes on Lena, waiting for the other woman to say something. Lena considered asking about Alex, but then thought that it’s better not to. Sexuality is a private thing, after all.

“Why?  _ Don’t mention technology _ , I mean.”

After hearing the question, Jess exhaled, glad that Lena didn’t ask about the other person. She smiled warmly, looking at the window

“With Alex talking about science and technology is nice, because she knows when to stop. But he? He is just crazy about it. I swear if I hear him talking about it one more time, I’ll just kick him in face.”

“Oh. Ok. The theatre, though…”

Jess turned to Lena.

“Ah, yes, he loves it. Actually, when he was in high school…”

 

* * *

 

Kara

Despite what others may think- others being her sister, that is- Kara is, in fact (and to a great extent thank you very much) a fairly well organized person. She is! But even if she makes a mistake it  _ is _ okay, right? Because everybody is human so everybody makes mistakes, yeah? And! Mistakes aren’t even always one’s fault! And it was  _ not _ in the  _ slightest _ her fault that she didn’t pack any gala-like-dress to Athens whatsoever. It wasn’t her fault either that she did not end up buying it in Athens like Cat told her to do. Really! She was busy! She had to follow Antonios like any other day and then she had to stress a little about going to the gala while eating ice cream and then she had to take care of some errands. So there, she simply didn’t have time. But she couldn’t tell that to her boss.

The whole situation with Cat was rather peculiar, as Kara didn’t even state that she would like to be a journalist. At the time, she was still her assistant. It happened on a sunny Friday- she was coming to her boss with the usual order from a restaurant when she heard Cat talking on the phone….

 

_ “Will you do it Antonios? She has potential, I swear. She is just too invested in this city. She needs to discover something new. See something new. You understand…yes…yes I know…” _

_ Not even thinking about the possibility of her being the subject of the conversation, the blonde quietly walked through the room and began to delicately place the takeout bag on her boss’ office table, as if it was some kind of a bounty. Simultaneously, Cat ended the call with a sigh, then looked at her. Kara wasn’t afraid that she did something wrong- she knew her boss well enough to notice that it was satisfied sigh. So, she simply waited for the news. _

_ “Kara, pack your bags. You’re going to Greece. You will write there.” _

_ The bag hit the marble with a thud. _

_ “Uh… What?” _

_ “You heard me. My friend will train you, you will observe him while he works. You will also learn how to find material, write articles. Those kinds of things. Do you understand?” _

_ “I- Yes, yes I understand. But I..” she trailer, not knowing what to say. _

_ Cat nodded and started doing something on her phone. She eventually looked up, challenge in her eyes. _

_ “I just sent you your plane tickets. You decide whether or not you want to use them.” _

 

...And that’s how she ended up here.

With a sigh, she closed the doors of her closet and walked out of the room and in the direction of the door of her apartment. She hesitated a bit, her hand barely touching the handle, before she opened it with one quick movement, as if to rip off the band aid, to show herself that what’s started has to be finished. She looked at her neighbour’s doors.

_ I must be crazy…Okay Kara, take it easy. Easy, light and breezy. Just knock. _

The door was opened by an elderly woman, who smiled brightly at Kara and raised her eyebrows.

“Hello.”

“Hi, I am from mrs Callas’ apartment,” She made a little, shy wave with her hand, which was met with a slight frown of confusion from the woman’s side. “She’s my landlord?” Tried Kara.

This time the woman nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, that’s me. Kara Danvers. Hi. Umm, yeah. I traveled here from States because my former boss decided that I need to become a journalist. I don’t know whether I am good enough but for my present boss’ taste I just need to be a little polished. I don’t know if I agree, I think that one just has to  _ have _ something and, and I’m rambling I’m terribly sorry I’m so sorry I…” Kara looked at her hands and then at the woman, whose face showed nothing but understanding and patience. “Uh, so, my boss also decided that I need to go to this gala… I wanted to ask if I could borrow a dress. Or a suit. Whatever, really. Is there any chance?”

The woman just smiled, nodded and opened doors a little wider, welcoming Kara inside.

The young woman couldn’t help but look around.

The room was quite big and high. The walls were white with vertical streaks of brown here and there. The colour of walls as well as the occurrence of big balcony windows made the room light and warm. There were two regals full of books standing by the wall, separated by a painting. 

“ _ Las dos Fridas _ ?” She asked. She read about the painting. She always liked it. Particularly because for her taste it may be completely differently received by a man and woman, as it seemed to her that a man can never really know how it is to be a woman simply because he is not one. What made her remember it was also the fact that it connected many aspects of woman’s life- such as repression or social expectations. She looked at the elderly woman, who stopped walking and instead was turned towards the piece of art and stared at it, as if searching for something. As if it meant a lot to her.

“Sorry, that was probably rude of me, I really shouldn't pry, I-”

“It’s okay. Yes, it is,” The woman looked at Kara and smiled, then chuckled, as if remembering something. “Or rather, its copy, a poster print, that I found one day at the market. It  _ was  _ a little overpriced, but I couldn’t help myself. It just...speaks to me…”

Both women shared a smile, feeling a forming of a bond.

The elderly woman turned and began walking again.

“Let’s see what I can find in my closet, shall we? But firstly, I’ll do us some mint tea.”

Kara looked at her watch and started thinking heavily whether to politely decline.  _ I am already almost late...but she is so nice, and probably kind of lonely here...I am sure Anto would understand… _

“Yeah, sure, thank you. That would be lovely,” she finally said, smiling.

*** 

“So you are not sure whether you are a good fit for a journalist, huh?” The woman- Alanis, as it turned out- asked.

Kara, who was changing her pants the minute the elderly woman landed the unexpected question, put her leg in a wrong, well, leg and tripped on a stool.

_ Oh mother trucker… _

She quickly got up, put on a suit Alanis lent her and, slightly limping, walked out of the bathroom. 

“Uh, yes. I mean, I don’t know. I am not very charismatic, loud, easily seen. You know what I mean, Alanis?”

A small sigh escaped the elderly woman.

“Yes, I know...my husband used to be like that. He was a journalist.”

“Oh gosh, I am so sorry…”

“No need to be, my dear. Actually, he worked for a long time with his friend, who remind me of you. He usually let my husband dominate the conversations- whether it be on a job, when they worked as partners, or during meetings. He would always, however, speak his mind. He would always speak about something he felt strongly about, too. He was also very observant and kind and, although not as  _ loud  _ and  _ easily seen _ , as you put it, as my husband, he was still respected and looked up to.” Kara smiled at that nervously. 

Alanis smiled and, walking to Kara, took her hand gently.

“There are different kinds of journalists Kara. You can be your own kind. And please, don’t say that you are not good enough. Who said that!? With enough determination, there is simply no such thing as being  _ fit  _ for something. You just have to want it enough and continuously go towards your goal. Do you do these things, Kara?”

The younger woman, too shocked to speak, merely nodded.

“Good. Then that’s your answer. You  _ are  _ good enough. Now, about that suit…, “She trailed, fixing the cuffs. “I think it’s good. I think you look good.”

Kara looked at the mirror. The suit was dark grey and, looking from the prism of the fact that it once was Alanis husband’s, one could say that it also classified as vintage. She smiled.  _ Okay, I do look good. _

“I forgot, Kara. Wait a minute, dear.”

Alanis disappeared in another room and after a couple of minutes appeared with something in her hands.

“Take this.”

Kara looked at the item and found herself immediately refusing.

“Oh no, I shouldn’t...you’ve helped enough Alanis, really….”

“Nonsense, take it. It matches your eyes,” The woman calmly stated, giving her the tie.

“Now, how late are you already?” She said with a knowing smile.

Kara looked at her wrist.

“Oh gosh! Very! Oh my God, my boss is going to be so mad…” Kara started frantically grabbing her clothes from the bathroom floor.

“Okay then. We can talk when you come to give it back. Tomorrow, yes? As you promised?’

“Yes! Yes, yes, as I’ve promised, of course. Tomorrow I have to move to this village on the South because we have to cover material, do some interviews, get to know the situation of people living there and the state of things... But I’ll come here, as I promised. I won’t let you down. And I’ll be careful with the suit. I- I have to go now… But thank you once again for all the trouble. And for the talk. I will send you letters from the village. If you want that, that is.”Kara stood in front of Alanis, her eyes sincere and her heartbeat elevated from searching for her things in the woman’s apartment. She was still breathing heavily, but in the elderly woman’s opinion, she was still very pretty. She smiled once more. 

“Yes, you can write to me, I would like that. And it was no trouble, really, have fun.”

Kara just returned the smile and hugged the woman before disappearing in the hall. 

***

Have Kara ever been to a gala? Well, yes, as Cat’s assistant she was sometimes present at such things.  _ Assistant _ being the key word, as it’s a totally different case when you go as, well, yourself- not as somebody’s assistant. You have to sell your image and character, so that others remember you. You also have to be careful when it comes to who you talk to. That is why now, as the party barely started, Kara was standing near the big Dracaena plant, sipping her red wine, observing the people. It was a highly strategic move- she is to remain unseen, whereas everybody else can be easily looked at. 

 

Right now, she has her eyes on one woman. Not very tall, brunette, darker shade of skin. Eyes brown, hair dark. Dimples. She caught Kara’s attention, as she was regularly touching her left ear, which is- to Kara’s disappointment- hidden under the curtain of her hair. Not once did she look at Kara- probably because she was too busy observing other people. Under the mask of calmness, her gaze was sharp, vigilant, as if she was constantly accessing the situation. Kara looked at her clothes. She had a white button up, black pants and a blazer, which she left partly fastened. She has to have something under it, as Kara see a part of an angular item pressing lightly onto the material.  _ A phone? A gun?  _ Those details were hard to spot, however. To other people she might look like just another guest- she is sipping from her drink and smiling at something the man standing next to her said. She laughs then, patting his arm.

 

Kara looks at the man. His skin is dark, he is of a good built. Tall. Brown eyes. He, too, has an observant gaze and an item hidden under his jacket.  _ Agents? Cops? Why are they here? Now, that might be interesting… _

Kara sets her drink on a table standing nearby and make a move to go in the direction of agents, when a hand stops her. Feminine. Delicate, but also strong.

“Hello, sorry, are you perhaps Kara Danvers?” the woman said, smiling brightly, her hand still on Kara’s arm. A beautiful woman. With a beautiful smile. Somehow dangerous smile.  _ Oh boy… _

“I, uh, yes. I am.” Kara just stated, already having problems with, well, talking at all.

 

It’s not that Kara is insecure. No no, she knows she is- as her sister once said it-  _ a catch.  _ The thing is, once she sees someone who is  _ definitely _ out of her league, she loses all of her courage. Like, it’s much easier talking with this one guy from her previous job, who was as mediocre as one could get. It’s much easier talking with a girl who, although pretty and nice, doesn’t make Kara’s heartbeat elevate. And most times it isn’t even dependent on Kara, not really. There is just this trigger in her and no matter who the person is, if there is no trigger, no feeling, no thread of understanding, then there is simply not much she can do to make the situation better. 

Turns out, there is not much she can do when there  _ is  _ a feeling as well, let alone talk.

“Excellent. I’m Diana. Nice to meet you,” the woman said, extending her hand. Kara shook it slowly, delicately.

“Likewise,” Kara smiled slightly, looking at woman’s eyes.  _ Wow… _

“So, Ms. Danvers. Your boss, Antonios, said quite a few things about you. Did you really get lost on your first day in Athens?” Diana asked, a small smirk present on her lips. Kara groaned, then hid her face behind her hand and sighed heavily, chuckling at her misery.

“Please don’t tell me he told you the  _ whole _ story…” she looked from behind the fingers.

“Unfortunately, yes. But it wasn’t so bad! And besides, you got to know the city!” Diana said, laughing. She placed her hand on Kara’s arm again.

_ Oh I’m gonna kill him. Tomorrow, on our way to this village… _

 

The hand stayed there for the rest of the talk, and then a little bit more during dancing. And then a little longer at the end of the gala when they got in the cab. And then through the night.

***

_ ‘You call to me _

_ And I fall at your feet’ _

 

Nickelback. Why was Kara hearing Nickelback? Wait. Those aren’t her sheets. This isn’t her pillow either.

 

_ ‘How could anyone ask for more _

_ And our time apart’ _

 

“Is that Nickelback?” a sleepy voice next to her says.  _ Who is it?! Is that me?!  _ _ And why is here so dark??  _ She then opens her eyes.  _ Okay that’s why. Now, where am I- _

“Oh my God!”

Kara shouts and jumps as if she was burned. Well, considering the fact that her movements are partly blocked by the sheets, she, in fact, ungracefully stumbles to the floor, shrieking. 

Diana mumbles something intangible to the pillow and goes back to sleep, which slightly relaxes Kara.  _ Good, she didn’t notice. Slightly weird because it was loud, but good. _

 

_ ‘You call to me  _

_ And I fall at your feet’ _

 

_ Oh for fucks sake. _

She quickly cover herself with a shirt laying on the floor and quietly runs to her purse laying on the chair nearby. She frantically opens it and gets the phone.

Anto, 2 unanswered calls.

Alex, 1 unanswered call.

_ Gosh. _

She looks at the hour.

_ Double Gosh. _

Her phone starts ringing again.

“Hello? Anto?” she whispers. She twists her face upon hearing a tsunami of words coming from her boss’ mouth through the speaker.

“Yes, yes I know….No, we will  _ not _ be late, I promise…” She says while putting on her suit. “Yes, yes...Oh, I just. I got home ok, yeah. Diana drove me to my apartment, no worries.” Nervous laugh followed.  _ Sure he won’t notice that something is off, great Kara.  _ She listens to Anto’s irritated rant about the possibility of missing the plane.

“Okay, I love you Anto, see you soon, bye.” She quickly ends the call and goes to the living room

_ Where is it, where is it… Aha! _

She swiftly writes an apologize note containing the summary of the cause of her hurry on a small piece of paper and a  _ thank you _ for amazing night. Having done that, she runs away.

***

“Hey Alex, sorry I’m calling so late!” Kara practically screamed over the city noise. The traffic was quite big, though there were high chances that she will be on time. Maybe. Perhaps. She hopes so. 

“It’s okay Kara, how are you? How was gala?” Alex voice usually calmed her a little bit. It was always so soothing. Now it made Kara’s heartbeat elevate.

“Haha, funny you ask that…” Another nervous laugh, “It was quite okay... I met some people, they were nice… And I’m okay. A little nervous though. I’m running late. I’m currently on my way to my apartment. I have to shower and then I moving south with Anto. How are you?” She rambled a little, feeling the tiniest bit nervous at the thought of her sister discovering the truth.

“Ah well, same old, in the evening I’m actually meeting with- Wait… why are you running late, then? You weren’t in your apartment?”

A moment of awkward silence followed.

“You. Did. Not. Oh my God! You totally did! Who was it? I bet they’re famous, I have to Google them!”

“Bye Alex! Talk to you later, love you!”

“Wait! I-”

“Bye!”

_ Triple Gosh. _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. 2

* * *

 

Lena

  _Yesterday_

“No _fucking_ way!” Jess practically screamed from her seat by the small round table. The furniture was wooden, painted black. There was a dimly lit lamp above it- it reminded Lena of those characteristic lamps that are above pool tables. Either way, what it did was partly shade their faces and perfectly emphasize the amount of empty glasses standing on it.

“Yes _freaking_ way!” Winn shouted-whispered back, irritated by his friend’s statement. Their faces were a little red, partly because of the heat, partly because of the alcohol. During talking, they were hyperbolizing thing after thing, whatever topic was brought up at the time. Lena observed them and wondered idly whether they care as much about these things as they do when they are not drunk. Probably not.

“Come on! You couldn’t have watched _Rent_ five times!”

“I did so!”

Jess made a move to say something, her finger high in the air, her mouth open. Lena stiffed a giggle upon looking at the other woman’s face. After two seconds Jess just shook her head, closing her mouth and took her glass from the tabe. She shook her head once more, looking at the item, then took a sip. Lena didn’t exactly know where the drink came from. Then she looked in front of her and saw another one. Having registered a movement from the corner of her eye, she turned her head and saw Alex sitting next to her.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” said Alex before sipping from her own. The redhead looked at Jess and Winn. Both were sipping from their drinks, glaring from time to time at each other.

“So, these two are fighting about _Rent_ again?”

“Yeah.”

“Gosh. It’s like they are an old married couple, I swear. They sometimes remind me of me and Kara.”

Lena looked at the other woman.

_Don’t talk about relationships. She probably slipped. Don’t talk about sexuality. Remember Jess’ advice. Do not talk about it. It will get weird. Do. Not. Don’t-_

“Who’s Kara?”

_Damn it you fool._

“Oh, Kara is my younger sister,” she said with a small smile, then looked at her drink.

_Ah, good, that’s nice._

“She has to move abroad, for an assignment of sorts. I miss her.”

Alex took a sip from her drink and looked at it sadly.

_Oh. Not so good, then._

And Lena, well, Lena knew that feeling. She was feeling the same when her brother was at home and she was at the boarding school. One of the differences was that Lena had no one, then, to talk about the situation and about him. Another difference was that, of course, Lex was different.

“Well, what is she like? What does she look like?”

Alex raised her head abruptly and smiled, her eyes twinkling. She took the phone out of her pocket and showed Lena a photo of her and her sister. They both looked at it for a while, then Alex started talking.

“She is such a little sweetheart, I swear. Stubborn as hell. And she smiles too much. Especially when the weather is good. It’s like she takes her energy from sun, I don’t know. And she is so helpful and open to people, I wish I was like that. And she is away and she, she-,” Alex’s voice started trembling and that was all the sign Lena needed to stop looking at the redhead’s - albeit beautiful- sister and look at Alex instead. The other woman’s eyes welled up in tears.

“Oh honey,” she whispered softly before taking her hand. Alex didn’t even hesitate and tightened her grip on Lena’s hand, which shocked her a little. She took her as a not very tactile woman. She wondered then, how many things Alex had to deal with by herself.

“It’s going to be okay. You will see her soon.”

Alex exhaled, nodded and let go of her hand. Then she reached for a napkin laying on the table.

“I wouldn’t. On your place, I mean. It’s got ketchup all over it.I used it for my fries,” said Winn innocently, looking quite miserably while doing so.

It made Alex laugh quietly.

***  


_Now_

 

“Mr. Smith, the way I see it, you want a greater amount of income for your company alone than was previously established, while not bringing anything of a significance to the table. It’s a collaborative work. I’d have to reach my contacts and organize a meeting to find a solution together. As a member of this _cooperative_ work, you are welcome to accompany,” Lena said in a decisive tone, her posture straight, gaze piercing. Unsubordinated behaviour is not welcome in her office.

Mr. Smith reddened and then needlessly tried to fix his tie, trying to come up with an answer.

A knock on the door interrupted that.

“I am sorry, that was my assistant. I have an important business to attend to. I cannot promise anything. We will stay in contact, is that okay with you, Mr. Smith?”

“I-yes, yes of course.”

Mr. Smith nodded, said goodbye and walked out of the office.

Lena exhaled and heavily sat on her office chair.

The door opened.

“Hi. You got a minute?” Jess’ head appeared, then her whole body as she started walking in the room without any invitation whatsoever.

“Of course, you have. I made you the schedule, after all. You are welcome, by the way.”

“This is _literally_ your job, Jess.”

“Oh no, I didn’t mean the making-schedule thing. I meant the giving-that-douchebag-little-time thing.”

Lena raised her eyebrows.

“How do you know he was a douchebag?”

“His assistant called me. She has to be one of those where’s-my-soya-milk yoga moms that voted for Trump, I can bet-”

“Jess I _told_ you. This is not how you access whether someone is worth my time…” Lena trailed, hiding her face in her hands, exhaling.

“I did not. That bitch was so dumb, I just had to look him up and read about his relationship with L-Corp, duh. I guess douchebags hire idiots. Makes sense. I even made a binder, I thought you would say something like that. There’s everything about him and his associates that I could find,”she said, handing her boss said binder.

Lena raised her eyebrows. She took the binder, opened it and started reading a random page.

“Wow that’s… Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

They both became silent, Lena looking at the binder, Jess looking at Lena.

“How did you find out all that, Jess?” She finally said, pointing at some information about guy named Christopher Colum.

“...Does it matter?”

Now, Lena knew when not to overstep. Jess did her job and that was the most important thing.

“I guess not. Don’t put the company in danger while doing so, though. ”

“Yes, mom,” Jess said, rolling her eyes.

The silence filled the room once again.

“So… How’s the hair? You feeling good?”

Lena put the binder on the table and stretched, her hands massaging her scalp, her smile wide.

“Oh yes! I am feeling _so_ good. And the way they are looking at me! I wish you could see it!”

Jess’ eyes sparked with joy.

“That’s awesome!”

“Right?! When Mr.Tento went into the office, for one second he had a face like he was lost! And, and I almost said ‘Suck it, sucker’! But then remembered that he is my business partner, thanks to Lex…”

“Shame… So… You want to go to a pub or something? In a near future? I don’t know if you liked my friends…”

“I did! And of course I do want to go.” She said with a smile.

“Nice! Oh, before I forgot- I made you a break in your schedule after Mr. Slevan. You have to eat and catch some fresh air. How about we go for a coffee?”

Lena smiled, shaking her head.

“ ‘ _Fresh air’_ as if, honey. Where are you from? Because surely if you were from here you wouldn’t be using the phrase _fresh air._ But sure, let’s get coffee, why not.”

“Don’t be a meanie, Luthor,” her assistant said and looked at her watch. ‘Okay, you have Mr. Slevan in 10, I’ll give you time to prepare. See you.”

“Thanks, bye.”

***

“Well, the name is rather… unambiguous,” Jess said.

They were standing in front of the nearby cafe, the signboard above saying “ _Coffee & other stuff _”

“You sure about that? The ‘ _other stuff_ ’ seems ambiguous enough to me… They might want to sell us weapons or some shit... “

Jess snorted.

“Luthor gene: _Detected.”_

Lena laughed, looking at the name of the shop once more. They walked inside and ordered two sandwiches and two cups of coffee.

They sat beside a glass window and looked outside for a while, each in her own thoughts. When the waiter came with the drinks and the food, they began talking.

“So, where are you from?”

Jess added sugar to her coffee and stirred a little, looking unsure.

“Midvale, actually.”

“You met Alex there, right?”

“Yeah, how do you-”

“Oh, she showed me a photo of her and her sister when we were in the pub. They were trekking, I think… Anyways, they were in the forest- probably surrounding the town-  and there was a sign ‘Welcome to Midvale!’ in the corner of the photo. I just guessed that that’s where you know her from.”

“You are quite observant, aren’t you?”

Lena shrugged her shoulders.

“You have to be when you are a Luthor.”

Jess nodded slightly and took a sip of her coffee.

“Yeah. That’s where I met her. We were going to the same school. Took some of our AP’s together.”

“Must be nice. To have someone like that in your life.”

“Yeah. It is.”

They both looked through the window for a second.

“And Kara?” Lena asked, turning her gazed on the other woman.

_Way to go, let’s have a crush on your new friend’s sister, you complete useless moron..._

Jess looked at Lena, confused.

“What about her?”

“Well, you have been hanging out together, I assume. And now she is away.”

Jess sighed.

“Yeah, Kara is great… I really miss her. I don’t talk about her with Alex because… you know…”

Lena nodded.

_Change the topic. Change the topic._

“So, about Winn…”

Jess groaned.

“No! Not you too…”

Lena raised her hands as if she was surrendering.

“I am _just_ saying!” she said laughing.

“Oh, shut it, Luthor,” the other woman said in an annoyed manner, yet the blush on her cheeks told Lena that her friend wasn’t as cool about the thing as she wanted Lena to believe.

***

Lena came back home around 10 p.m. She left her car in the garage and walked inside the apartment. She could still hear the street noises and could still recognize the characteristic smell of polluted air. Sure, the view from her living room was amazing- but sometimes she was just so fed up with living in the centre of the city. Sometimes she thrived to just sit in a complete silence. Isolated from all this mess. Calm. Shaving her head _was_ a mean of catharsis, but it didn’t really matter now, in this particular moment of coming back to an empty apartment.

She sighed and walked to the kitchen. Having taken a single orange from the fridge, she sat on the big sofa in the living room. She made a move to take her laptop, but thought better of it when her sight land on the painting hanging above the kitchen table. Ireland. It was a beautiful piece, one she bought right after moving out from this beautiful country. For some the mysterious and somehow gloomy view of the green cliffs emerging from the fog would be perceived as unwelcoming, yet Lena always found consolation in this exact scenery.

Suddenly her phone rang. Furrowing her brow, she took it from the coffee table and looked at the screen.

“Mother?”

Her mother hasn’t called her since their fight.

“ _Lena?”_

Lena cleared her throat.

“Hey,” Her voice was shaking the tiniest bit. _Get a grip. Be strong._

_“Hello. Lena, are you busy right now?”_

Lena was utterly confused. She looked around her empty apartment, as if to look for any people hiding there that would want something from her. She really wanted to refuse, to tell her mother that she is at her office, but found herself agreeing.

“No, I’m free.”

_“Okay, well. I am going to be talking for a couple of minutes. Please, I beg you, don’t interrupt. I know I am asking a lot but could you do that?”_ Her mother’s voice sounded sad, desperate.

Lena didn’t understand what exactly was happening but found herself nodding anyways.

“Yes. Okay.”

Lillian sighed with relief.

_“Okay. I, uh, I saw a photo of you with your new… hairstyle. You look nice, I hope you are feeling good. I just. I… You look tired, stressed. Well, more than you were already. I was thinking about it, you know. How stressed you are. And, and I talked to my friend. And then. Then I realized that I owe you a big apology. For, well, for everything. After Lionel’s death, I guess Lex was my… escape, so to speak,’_ Lena heard her mother sighing through the phone _, ‘You and I both know that Lionel thought very highly of Lex. I unconsciously started to do this, too. I felt as if I was somehow less than him, my husband, my equal, so I automatically favoured Lex. I am sorry I never really saw you. All this time, I was in Lionel’s shadow. I never took a stance in family argument. I was just always on Lionel’s side without giving it much thought._

There was a moment of silence, as if her mother feared telling her daughter the next sentence.

_“When Lionel died, I searched for an atom of him in anything. That is why I was so focused on Lex. Too focused. And then they took Lex to, to this place and we had this fight. And I am now so grateful for this fight. It opened my eyes. I just. I had to tell you this. And, and I ask you... to give me a second chance. Maybe, think about it, okay?”_

Lena opened her mouth, then closed it. Then opened again. She proceeded to sit like that for about two whole minutes before her mother spoke up, her voice timid, so unlike her.

“Are you there…?”

It somehow triggered Lena to talk.

“I am. I am here, I just…” She trailed, not knowing what to say, “Give me one day, okay? I have to think about it. You said a lot of things that I need to think about. I don’t want to say something that I may regret,” she stated finally.

_“Thank you. So much. I am not going to disturb you now, I know how busy you generally are. Just, thank you.”_

Lena felt a single tear on her cheek. She was so confused, she couldn’t state whether she rather her mother didn’t call at all. If her mother was more, well, bad as a parent, Lena wouldn’t have any hope in her that maybe things will change. But, because Lillian was neutral, the hope was always there. With time Lena came to hate it, this small flicker. She just wanted to cry and yell and run and...

“Okay, goodbye mother.”

_“Bye Lena. I- Have a good night.”_

Lena hung up without having the slightest clue that the older woman longed for her to someday call her _mom_ instead of _mother-_ if she was ever to earn it.

She layed on the sofa and soon, looking at the painting, fell asleep.

A Luthor doesn’t cry.

 

* * *

 

Kara

 The first evening in the village reminded Kara of the first evening in the Athens. It… lacked something. It felt kinda empty. Very empty. The truth was, Kara wasn’t used to being completely, utterly alone. More so, giving the fact that she had an older sister with whom she spent so many years, from high school to university, and then a little more when they were living together. She always had someone, which gave her a sense of tranquility- she had somebody’s support and could always ask for advice. She had a pillar in her life.

 Now there was no pillar and her decisions seemed to bear greater consequences- the life was in her hands and that scared her enormously. The second night in Athens, she left the radio on, painfully understanding why her mother started doing so when her dad passed away. For somehow silence became heavy, like storm clouds you see when you walk out of the house and weren’t expecting it- surprisingly gloomy, but also vast and endless. She didn’t understand the words but that didn’t matter either way- the speaker had a deep, comforting voice.

 The problem was, there was no radio at her new place in the village. In fact, there was hardly anything- the only present things were basic furnitures, no decorations. Because of that, the whole apartment felt unwelcoming despite its beautiful interior design.

 Kara sighed. Then, invigorated by a sudden idea, ran to her suitcase. She opened her laptop and retrieved a CD, ‘This Empty Northern Hemisphere _’._ She bought it in Athens when she got lost- again- and ended up in a music shop. _That ought to do it. Anything but silence. But remember, you can fall apart only tonight, you promised her._

 When the music started playing, she delicately put the device on the bed. She got mint tea bags from her baggage and walked to the kitchen. Having smelled the beautiful aroma of the beverage, she instantly relaxed a little. She used to drink a lot of mint tea when she was younger, especially during summer. She still remembers the days spent with Alex in the garden, among the flora.

 She turned on a single lamp, making the room illuminate with a warm, yellowish light. She sat on a patchwork carpet and laid her head on her bed. She looked at the sky and sea that could be seen by her balcony doors. She didn’t feel like going on the terrace yet. She didn’t want to face the world tonight.

 “Oh, Gregory. Tonight we are the sad ones, aren’t we?” She said to the vocalist, not expecting any response whatsoever. She then thought of Alex. She hoped she is okay. She missed her terribly.

 Soon her eyes closed, the music still playing quietly in the background.

*** 

The next morning, the first thing that Kara heard was a distant meowing. After her last morning- which consisted of waking up with a woman in bed and hurrying to her apartment only to be stopped by her neighbour for some tea- she didn’t even found it bizzare. She opened her eyes and stretched, already feeling the consequences of sleeping on the hard floor. Turning her head around, she searched for the source of the sound. She spotted a small white ball outside of her terrace doors.

“How did you get here?” She whispered so as not to spook the kitten. She opened the glass doors and let the animal inside. The ball started purring.

“You like it here, huh?” She smiled a little, then looked at her clock- 5.50.

“All of the shops are still closed, bud, so I cannot buy you anything. Maybe some water, though?” She placed a small plate of water on the wooden floor. The white ball started drinking, constantly purring.

“Interesting.”

She made some tea and went outside. The terrace was made out of dark wood. Two beige lawn chairs and a white, small round table were placed neatly on it, contrasting with its colour. On the edge of the terrace, there were two stony steps leading to a narrow, cobbled path through a garden.

Kara put her tea on the table and started going through the path, the cat following closely behind her. She looked curiously at various flowers, admiring their beauty. Having went through the garden, she walked out onto a small grassy area surrounded by a high fence covered in ivy. In the corner, there were two olives trees near each other, and Kara couldn’t help but think that that would be a perfect spot for a hammock. Because the place was enclosed by the green, it gave a cosy feeling. It looked surreal.

_I’ll have to thank Cat later for getting me this place, it’s probably still night in the States._

“Do you like it?” She asked the cat, patting its head gently. The cat laid down and turned on its back.

“So you're a lady, huh?” She asked, patting its belly now. The cat started purring more loudly. Kara noticed that it had no collar. _Maybe it has no owner..._

“Well, how about I call you Lady? Is that okay?” Having received no response, Kara assumed that that is a _yes_.

She stood up and started walking towards the apartment.

“I will buy you some food later but for now let’s just enjoy the morning, shall we?”

Lady started purring again.

***

Having read half of her book on the terrace, Kara looked at the time again and decided that it’s a good time to go out and check the surroundings. She put on her shorts and blue button-up. It reminded her of Alex, as her sister always used to say that she looks good in blue. Now Kara needed some support- be it in form of a clothing. She patted Lady, took her bag and left, locking the door.

To be frank, Kara started to love Greece. It was to some extent similar to States, yet at the same time so different. She loved the fact that- at least in Athens- she could see amazing architecture while doing the most ordinary thing one could imagine, such as buying bread in a nearby cafe. And, oh my god, don’t get her started on the magic that those magical places possess. Cafes, flower shops, music shops…

All of those elements, combined with the culture, people, and the particular climate, make her want to stay here forever.

She inhaled the dry, hot air and starts walking along the street. The village was small,  located far from any coastal city or tourist village. It was a good thing, though- Kara was staying here with Anto so that the project present the authenticity and the _real_ state of the region, not the state they are selling to tourists.

After some time of walking she spotted a small ceramics & art shop and a tiny supermarket. They were placed next to each other, the old signboards hidden behind a beautiful plant Kara recognized s Pink Bougainvillea.

She contemplated for a split second, then moved towards the art shop. She bought some home accessories- cups, a flower vase. When she was just about to pay for everything, the owner showed her a door at the back of the shop, behind which the art that was stored in a separate room.

_Oh my, don’t go there. Do not go there. For your wallet’s sake, please._

She went inside, and her sight immediately landed on one painting in particular.

_On the other hand... might as well starve for a few days. This one would look magnificent in the living room…_

She looked at her wallet, then again at the painting.

***

“What do you think, Lady?” Kara asked the cat, who had been observing her throughout the whole process of decorating the apartment. Lady meowed once, looking around.

“I thought so. Glad you like it.” She smiled and patted the animal, then looked around to access the overall progress. 

After unpacking the plethora of books that she brought with herself from her bags, the empty racks standing by the wall soon became more filled. More so, as she also brought souvenirs from Athens and some things from home, such as photo of her and Alex. She also picked some flowers from her garden and put them into the vase, which she later put neatly on the big, wooden table. Lastly, she put the painting on the wall, above two big armchairs. _Yup, looks great. Unlike the inside of your fridge._

She liked it. It was quite okay. She crouched next to Lady.

“So listen buddy, I know that today you got a meat for, well, dinner, but you need to eat cat food. Unfortunately, they don’t have it here. I’ll have to drive to the nearest big village. Well, to be honest I had to drive there already- Anto ordered me to,” She stopped to wonder why on earth she was explaining herself before the cat. “Anyways, I’m gonna buy you something nutritious, okay? I’m gonna be away for a day max. I will leave the window open so that you can go in and out, allright?”

Lady looked at her with understanding- as much as possible it is for cat, that is- and meowed once.

“Good.”

She smiled, then, after remembering something, sighed.

“Now I’ll just have to somehow get there. Any ideas?”

Lady started purring and laid once more on its back, waiting.

“I thought so, thanks.”

***

Kara stopped her rented car in front of gas station located on the outskirts of the tourist village to fuel it up. She looked around, accessing the surroundings, her journalist mode on. She saw a group of teenagers standing near the corner. They were laughing at something one of them said, but generally they seemed quite off- as if they were waiting for something to happen. They reminded Kara of kids that are just about to be given a lollipop. They didn’t look like they were waiting for anything near a lollipop, though. _Weird._

Having paid inside, she made a small chit chat with cashier about the village and its inhabitants. When she was just walking out, the cashier suddenly spoke once more.

“I would buy a canister. If I were you, I mean.”

Kara turned, interested.

“Oh?”

The cashier scratched the back of his head.

“Yes, you see, there aren’t many gas stations here. And distances between villages can be long.”

Kara nodded, turning around, looking for canisters. She spotted them on the back of the shop, behind the counter.

She pointed at them.

“Could I buy one, then?”

The cashier turned around, confused. Then let out a small laugh.

“Oh, no, not those! They are empty.”

With a nonchalance, he went for the item, which turned out to be in front of the shop.

Kara thanked him, and, after paying, walked out of the shop.

She stopped, then. _What’s that smell?_

She walked towards towards the source of the smell which was- if her nose is right- behind the corner of the shop. She saw a small pile of plastic items. She putted the small fire out using her foot, then nugged the pile to separate the items. She crouched next to the pile, looking closely. The plastic items were in fact small plastic packets. Plastic packets one usually puts weird substances in. _For example drugs._ She looked around- no sight of teenagers. She took a plastic bag from her pocket and took the pockets inside. Turning around once more, this time to make sure no one saw her, she went to her car and drove away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Have a lovely day!


	3. 3

* * *

 

Lena

Lena was tense. Tense, stressed, you name it. She was also  feeling feverish. If not for the slight, repeated movement of her finger on her pen, which gave her a tiniest bit of consolation, she would probably look like someone who isn’t even close to losing control over the situation. She was not. She cannot.

The hand was under the table, therefore preventing Mr. Tento from seeing the sign of nervousness. She was sitting straight on her office chair, her posture emanating elegance and confidence. She looked at her watch. Precisely 15 minutes left. Then she has another meeting, of course. The company will not run by itself. She needed to play it out smoothly, swiftly.

“Ms. Luthor, I am afraid I do not entirely comprehend…” the man said, his eyes guarded, watching. The woman smiled.

“What I mean is, it would be greatly beneficial for the company to expand overseas on an even greater scale…”

The proposition _was_ risky but Lena had a plan, a strategy. She stood up, placing the pen delicately yet decisively on the table, and went for a glass of water.

“Water?” She turned and asked, holding an empty glass.

“Yes, please…” Mr. Tento fixed his cuffs, deep in thought. “I thought we already are in majority of Europe…”

Lena smirked, handing the man his drink.

“West, not East, Mr. Tento.”

The man looked her in the eyes.

“Japan…?”

The Luthor nodded slightly and took a sip. Waiting for the reaction. Mr. Tento swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

“Ms. Luthor...So soon after Lex’s… I-”

“I think a proper amount of time has passed for us to move on with the business and expand it, don’t you?”

It was a rhetorical question.

Mr. Tento hesitated for a second. He drank from his glass, leaving it empty. He stood up, looking at her.

“Yes. I agree.”

“Good. Does that mean I can count on you?” She said, extending her hand.

Giving the circumstances and Mr. Tento’s relationship with her brother, who had such different aspirations regarding the company from his dear sister, the question felt like throwing down the gauntlet.

There was a spark of something in the man’s eye.

“You can,” he said, shaking her hand.

_Funny,_ Lena thought. Looking by how long he has known Lex, he should know by now that in business Luthors don’t count on anyone having their back- the probability of disappointment is too high to risk it.

“Excellent,” Lena said, smiling professionally.

She kinda missed the times she could just stay in her lab all day. Or party. Or stay on a yacht all day, away from others, reading. Just relax, really. Without this all responsibility. But, life goes on.

***

 

“Hi.”

Lena opened her eyes only to find Jess’ eyes mere centimeters from her own.

“Agh!” She screamed, moving back on her office chair. She grabbed her desk frantically, afraid to fall from the furniture.

“What the?! Are you nuts?” She whispered angrily on her friend, who was laughing in this very moment. Jess wiped tears from under her eyes, still laughing quietly.

“My God Luthor, you should see your face right now!”

Lena groaned, then looked around her office.

“What is happening?” She said, confused. _Since when she has some quiet, free time in her office? Is this a dream?_

She talked with another client, who left half an hour ago and then she… fell asleep…?

“Oh, nothing. You just slept through the entire break I gave you in your schedule, no big deal. I just wanted to check up on you.”

Lena looked at her surprised.

“Oh. Thanks.”

Jess shrugged, smiling.

“No biggie.”

“Do I have any meeting now?”

“In, like, half an hour, I think? I woke you up so that you have time to prepare for it.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah yeah, I know you love me,” she said teasingly while walking towards the door. “Oh, and we have a game night tomorrow at six, don’t be late.”

“Yeah sure, wait wha-”

“Bye hon, love you!”

“Jess!”

***

 

“Hello, mother.”

_“Lena! I- hello! What’s your decision?”_

“I, I will give you a second chance…” She started, still unsure about the whole situation. “ _if_ you promise not to favour Lex should he ever leave that place. I don’t want to feel like option B. I am not, nor will ever be, option B. Okay?”

Lena couldn’t help but make a conversation with mother sound like a business contract. _Huh, would be nice if our conversations didn’t have to sound like that…_

_“Yes, of course. I realized many things. One of them is that I don’t want to lose you.”_

Lena wanted to say something, like “ _I don’t want to lose you too, even though I don’t know what to feel about you_ ”, or “ _it’s a shame you didn’t realize that sooner_ ” but instead she just nodded.

“Okay. Bye mother.”

_“Bye.”_

She put down her phone and closed her eyes. After two long, calming breaths, she took previously prepared papers and began reading.

***

 

Jess’ apartment was nice. It had this scandinavian style, much like Lena’s but it wasn’t as much minimalistic.

“Nice apartment.”

“Thanks.”

The truth was- when granted an opportunity- Lena had always loved trying to solve a puzzle that is one’s apartment. She adored looking at every tiny detail, every book on the shelf, every photo on the wall. For Lena, there were few things about someone that were equally intimate and meaningful as their apartment. She wasn’t the one to prejudge- she simply observed. Either way, usually only after really getting to know someone does the occurrence or lack of something starts to make sense. In this case the lack of family photos. Lena looked for other guests.

“Where is everyone?”

“Oh, I need you to help me with cooking, so you are one hour early. Is that okay? If you are very busy you can always work in my office…”

“No no, it’s okay.”

Lena looked around, not knowing what to do with herself. She took a jar of peanut butter from a shopping bag standing next to her and examined it. _No palm oil, no salt, no sugar._

“Healthy.”

Jess, who was preparing space on the countertop, turned towards Lena and looked at the item the other woman was holding.

“Yeah, Kara is one of those healthy freaks but like, she likes sweet things. So one day, when we were thinking about what to make for a game night, Alex found a recipe for muesli cookies with peanut butter and honey. We tried them and they were amazing so we made them on the next game night as well. And then another and another. Now I guess it’s a tradition.”

Lena smiled. She didn’t have any traditions with her friends. She wasn’t even sure whether she still had any friends after the situation with Lex. Besides Sam, maybe Jack. She was quite happy to possibly be a part of one, even if for probably a short time.

“Nice.”

“I know. Gimme that spatula?’ She said, pointing at the item laying next to the other woman.

“Sure.”

“Oh, and a large bowl. Third drawer.”

“You got it.”

“And uhh..’ she trailed, looking at the recipe. “Also flour. That would be the shelf on your left.”

“Mhm.”

“Oh, and get eggs from the fridge.”

“Okay. Anything else?” Lena said enthusiastically while opening the drawer, completely missing a feline smile creeping on Jess’ face. The other woman just stood by the recipe, watching Lena.

“And a small pot, Fourth drawer.”

“Of course.”

Jess let out a small giggle.

“Nice role reversal, boss. Your natural habitat, I assume? Wonder where else you feel like you don’t have to hide it…” She said, stifling a next laugh.

Lena turned to her and raised one brow, smiling slightly.

“Are you suggesting I am some bottom, Huang?” She asked, raising the pot in the hand as if to poke her friend.

“The facts speak for themselves, Luthor. I don’t have to suggest anything,” She said and stuck out her tongue, smiling. Lena hid her own smile and squinted her eyes dangerously. She started walking towards Jess, her hand still on the counter. She absorbed her friend’s whole attention by maintaining intense eye contact. Because of that, she was able to snatch one egg from the surface. _Powerful weapon._

“I’ll have you know,” She whispered mysteriously. “That I am not just _some_ bottom.”

She took one step closer, feeling Jess’ guard and confidence melt.

“I am a _power_ bottom,” She said, simultaneously planting the egg on her friend’s head and then sprinting in the opposite direction, laughing loudly.

“My God- Luthor you are _so_ dead! Come here!” a stern voice said behind her. She could feel, however, that the owner of the voice was smiling slightly.

“I’m serious Luthor! I just ran out of shampoo! How am I supposed to wash it?!”

Lena’s head appeared behind a sofa, smile still visible on her face. She looked at her friend, who was now standing miserably in the very centre of her kitchen with an egg on her head. She hid once more and got her phone from her pocket.

“Don’t be a drama queen, Wang. I’ll call my chauffeur. He will get you something.”

“You better…”

A moment of silence followed. Then Lena could here a quiet grumbling coming from other woman, something about ‘ _those Luthor genes…’ and ‘better buying something ridiculously expensive…’_

She stifled a giggle. Having friends was _nice._

***

 

“All done!”

“Thank God,” Huffed Lena, closing her eyes. She was extremely tired.

The whole apartment was filled with amazing, somehow homey, smell of baked cookies. That, as well as the awareness of her _friend_ ’s presence was making Lena feel as if she was under the fluffiest blanket in the world. She pushed herself deeper into the probably most comfiest sofa she has ever sat on in her life. She sighed. _This is what heaven looks like, huh._

“You like my sofa?”

Jess voice was near Lena. She smiled.

“Yeah, quite.”

She felt her friend sitting next to her, then sighing dreamily.

Lena thought for a moment.

“Did we really have to bake four times the amount of cookies than in recipe?”

“Tradition, Luthor. Tradition. Don’t spoil it.”

“Okay.”

They both fell silent for a moment, just enjoying the comfort of the furniture and the calm atmosphere present in the apartment.

“Good thing you washed your hair. Winn’s gonna love the smell.”

“Shut it, Luthor.”

“No, really!”

Jess sighed, unconvinced.

“Listen, Jess. He’s a good guy.”

“I know, I know...It’s just-”

Jess stopped herself.

The woman next to Lena started playing with her fingers, the movement slightly nudging Lena’s elbow.

She opened her eyes and turned her head to her friend.

“It’s just what?” She asked seriously, filled with curiosity. For her taste, Jess and Winn were good together. They just fit.

Jess stiffened, then hesitated.

“You don’t have to tell me, it’s okay.”

“No, I- I just don’t think that I am good enough, you know?”

Lena looked at her.

“Honestly, no. Please don’t ever think that. And if you do, just know that you can always talk to me,” She said finally, taking Jess’ hand.

The gesture could be received as a small, yet friendly one, but for Lena it bear a greater meaning. As a kid, she never had even a shadow of a warm touch from either of her parents. When they did touch her, be it by means of a literal pat on the back, it was usually a part of an act. It was to tell the person they have been talking to that they have someone who will own the company someday. Well- in Lena’s case maybe just someone who is, according to them, a successfully raised child. Or just a pretty child. After all, the golden child was Lex, not her.

So yeah, she had to teach herself to be more open. Sometimes she had to force herself a bit, in order for someone not to perceive her as unwilling to have them as a friend. It was… weird. There were times she doubted herself, thinking that she shouldn’t change herself just because she didn’t have friends. But then she always came to a conclusion that it was more of a matter of survival and adaptation. A matter of coming out of your comfort zone in hope for a better tomorrow. She was well aware of the fact that, given her environment, she has to have at least one friend to not go nuts. Hence Sam. Sam was Lena’s only friend. Now she is in another city, so there goes not going nuts.

Lena tightened her hold on Jess’ hand. She knew that sometimes people didn’t need whole monologues that presented someone’s opinion of them and contained lots of advice. Jess seemed to be one of them. So, Lena just held her hand.

The doorbell rang. Jess groaned and, simultaneously with Lena, stood up. As soon as the woman opened the door, she was greeted with a bear hug from Winn.

“Jess! So good to see you!”

Lena raised her eyebrows, looking at Alex, who was standing behind the man. Danvers shrugged her shoulders, smiling. Winn released her and went to greet Lena, extending his hand. Lena smiled brightly and hug him, then walked towards Alex. Upon hugging the woman, she heard Winn whisper “ _Did you change your shampoo? Your hair smell differently…”_

Lena couldn’t help but smile.

_Gosh, how cute._

Suddenly her phone, lying peacefully in her pocket, vibrated. She opened it, curious. It was her private phone.

_[Ms. Luthor, meet me tomorrow. Please. -C.Grant]_

_...How does she even have this number?_

* * *

 

Kara

Kara parked car under the small police station. She assessed the building, walking towards the entrance. _Small. Weirdly calm._ She stood in front of the central counter, waiting for someone to greet her. Eventually, bored of waiting, she cleared her throat loudly. _3...2…_

She heard footsteps. After nearly two seconds young policeman appeared.

“Good afternoon,” She said, smiling.

“Good afternoon. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I… Are you perhaps aware of all investigations that are taking place in this station?” She asked, trying to be nonchalant about the contents of her jacket's pocket. Her hand was still around the plastic bag- her only evidence.

“I am afraid not,” The policeman looked at her strangely.

“I just came across something strange. It probably had to do with some, uhh, illegal substances. I thought that maybe what I saw will help the case,” She stated simply.

The man’s posture instantly became the tiniest bit less guarded.

“Ah, the drug case, I remember it. Yeah, I know about it but you have to wait for Sawyer- the leader of the investigation.”

_That’s something._

“Okay, when will he be here?”

The man smiled.

“ _She, Maggie Sawyer,_ will be here in a minute, you can wait in front of her office,” He said, pointing at the door down the corridor, next to which was a single white chair.

Kara laughed quietly at herself and rushed to apologize.

“Sorry! Sure, thank you.”

The man smiled a warm smile in response.

***

 

After fidgeting for a while in her seat, Kara eventually couldn’t take it anymore and stood up. She looked around and spotted a photo hanging on the wall. A group of policemen were sitting by a round table, drinking orange juice, playing Scrabble. They were all laughing at something, some of them patting each other on the back. There was only one woman. She was sitting next to the man who greeted Kara a couple of minutes ago. The woman was looking at her rack with a small smirk. She reminded Kara of someone, yet she couldn’t put her finger on it. She looked at the background in the photograph. There was a guitar and… _is that a mexican hat? Wha-_

“I heard you were looking for me?” a female voice said behind Kara. She turned around to see a woman from the photo. And... the woman from the gala.

She looked completely different now. Then, she could as well act in _Die Hard_ , with her confidence, posture, and, well, badassness. Now she looked more… normal. She wore a loose button-up with a black jeans, her hair tied up in a loose bun. She was no longer looking calculating, dangerous. She was just neutral, and slightly confused as to why someone disrupted her calm afternoon. Her brows were furrowed, the small pout visible on her face. _Seemingly quite harmless, even._ The juice box with a Disney character in her hand somehow didn’t help her in appearing even a little bit more dangerous. _Maybe this is a disguise. No freaking way I just somehow stumble across a normal, basic cop, who was also on a freaking gala in freaking Athens looking like an agent._

Kara just nodded, smiling, trying to come across as indifferent. She looked at what Sawyer was holding in her hand. A bag full of oranges. _Really. That’s how busy they are here. She just straight up went to the shop in the middle of the day to buy some food I-_

She did a double take at the woman’s wrist.

_Okay what the actual…_

“Kara Danvers, nice to meet you. You are from FBI?” She asked quietly and, not waiting for an answer, began talking again. “That would be helpful. Either way, I am here cause I’ve seen something that might help your case. Regarding drugs, I mean.”

Sawyer narrowed her eyes and took a sip from her juice box.

“What makes you say that?” she finally asked.

“Oh, well, I have some good evidence, I guess-”

“Not that part.”

Kara broked the eye contact and fixed her gaze on woman’s wrist once more. She shifted from one foot to the other, not knowing what to do.

“Uhm…” She said eloquently, like a true writer, pointing at woman’s hand.

The wrist was beautifully decorated with a bracelet on which the words “ _Maggie and Lucy (colleague from FBI) BFF!! <3_” were proudly sewed on.

Maggie looked at her hand.

“Yeah that and. Uh. I- I saw you on the gala in Athens…”

“Oh. Well, damn.”

She sighed and took a sip of her juice.

“She made it when I was leaving Athens. Couldn’t really tell her that I don’t want it, you know. She made it herself. That would be rude.”

Kara nodded frantically, her eyes wide.

“Yeah, I hear you. My sister is the same.”

They stood in silence for a minute.

“Okay, let’s go to my office. Those oranges are kinda heavy. You can tell me everything there. Come on,” She opened the door and welcomed Kara inside, shutting the door after herself.

***

 

A moment of silence followed after Kara’s monologue.

Maggie gazed at her intently. Her fingers drumming on a paper filled with notes from Kara’s report. The paper, previously crystal clear, was now not only covered in ink but also a few stains- still visible evidence of Maggie’s inability to peel an orange without making a mess.

“You are not here to _just_ tell me what you were a witness to, are you?”

“Yeah, not exactly,” Kara looked at her hands. “I would like to propose a deal.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Kara looked at the woman.

“See I am a journalist-”

“Oh good God… But, uhm, continue,” Maggie sighed. Then, while exasperatedly rubbing her eyes, she began muttering to herself. Kara catched a barely audible _“if she writes about the bracelet I am so fucked...”_

She cleared her throat, pretending not to have heard that.

“Yeah, so as I was saying, I am a journalist. So maybe let’s do it like that- You present me the investigation- I’m not asking for anything a normal journalist would not be given, no confidentials et cetera- I would help you in solving this whole mess and then I would write about it. In a positive light, of course. I am here to write about problems in this region either way. This could be a great material for an article. We can be partners.”

Maggie narrowed her eyes.

“And what if I disagree? What’s in it for me? How can I even trust you?”

“Well, firstly, you are an agent and I am pretty sure you wouldn’t want anyone else to know that. And I don’t mean to blackmail you!”, Kara rushed to explain. “The secret would be safe with me so you don’t have to worry about trusting me. Secondly, based on the photo from the hall, you are here quite a while. Well, save for some time spent in Athens, I guess... I mean, the man who is now behind a central counter managed to grow a whole ass beard. Anyways, wouldn’t you like to finally solve it? Aren’t you-,’ She spotted the half-empty bag of oranges and pointed at it, as if to underline her point. “Aren’t you kinda wasting here? Aren’t you… bored?”

Maggie looked at the oranges with melancholy equal to a melancholy felt by an elderly person when they are looking at the photo from a family album on which they are thirty. She took one and started to peel it.

“Maybe I am…”She whispered, unsurely.

“So… what do you say? Are you in?” Kara eventually asked.

Maggie grew silent, her eyes focused on the fruit.

“I can’t believe I will help you even though you practically blackmailed me.”

Kara didn’t really have enough power to disagree on the blackmailing part.

“...you don’t have to?”

Maggie looked straight ahead, her face blank.

“Nah, I’m gonna.”

***

 

“You want to buy some more oranges with me? Well, and other things, if you want to buy something for yourself. I just thought you might want to know where is what. I can show you.”

Maggie rambled a little, opening the doors of police station for Kara. The woman nodded at her once, as a small thank you, and walked out of the building. The wall of hot air practically smacked her on the face. She blinked a couple times, still unaccustomed to the different climate.

She then looked at the other woman, checking whether she was joking. _More oranges? Gosh. Although, I do have to buy food for Lady..._

“In a minute? I have to make a call.”

Maggie nodded, looking around.

“Sure. I’m in a little hurry though. Meet you there?”

“Why not. Where is it? The shop, I mean.”

Maggie pointed at a pretty, white building in a distance. It was quite high, towering over others. Pretty close to the beach, too.

“See that building? This is a hotel. Next to it is a small supermarket. You can take a shortcut through those gardens. Okay?”

Kara looked for a moment. The gardens were small, yet well-maintained, surrounded by a net fence. They were situated next to a residential building complex. _They probably give the inhabitants a feeling of serenity, especially during the summer with all the tourists all around them._

“Aren’t they... secured, though? Like, isn’t it a private area?”

‘You just tell the guard I let you in. He knows me.’

Kara looked her in the eyes, unsure.

“Okay, see you there,” She eventually said.

“See you, Danvers.”

***

 

“Hello, Kara. What can I do for you?” Cat’s voice was neutral, almost bored. As if the ever busy CEO of a media company didn’t have much to do during the weekday. Kara could hear a the level of chaos present at CatCo in the background, a chaos she was much accustomed to.

“Ms. Grant. Good evening-”

“It’s morning here,” The older woman stated impassively.

“Oh. Well, good morning. Thank you for the accomodation. The place is really beautiful. But I-... Ms. Grant I have one question. Regarding this whole thing.”

“Yes?”

“Why am I really here? I mean I met-” She was abruptly silenced by her boss, who decided to spoke up.

“ _Them,_ I knew you would. Well done. Go with that lead.”

_What? Them? She knows who? What lead? What?_

“Ms. Grant I don’t understand… what is happening…” Kara was at loss of words. _Is there something much bigger going on here? Is she a part of this?_

“I can’t tell you more,” Cat hesitated a moment. “But... be safe.”

“Okay. Thank you, Ms. Grant,” Kara said, her voice shaking the tiniest bit.

“Bye, Kara.”

“Goodbye.”

Kara rubbed her eyes.

_Cat rarely hesitated._

Before she could forget, she opened a chat and sent a quick message to Alex, asking about her day. She then looked in the direction of gardens and started walking, the newly emerged thoughts nagging her like mosquitoes in the hot evening.

***

 

The shop was small, cosy even. It wasn’t one of those shops filled with fussy items, thank God. Because of its size, the woman was able to find the items she was looking for rather quickly. Kara smiled at the old lady scanning her purchases. After paying she waited for Maggie, then walked with her outside, bidding the cashier goodbye.

They stood in front of the shop, looking around. Kara bit her lip, thinking about the investigation.

“You want to meet? Like, to think about this whole thing? Plan something?” She hesitantly offered. She was partly hoping Maggie would say yes. While walking to the shop she thought about Cat’s behaviour and her discovery at the gas station. She had a feeling there was a lot going on, which meant that the other woman probably should close the official case as the police officer, _which she probably wasn’t?,_ and continue it as a secret investigation. Hence, it would be best to plan and brainstorm in a safer place.

Sawyer looked at her, her gaze calculating.

“Okay. Where?”

“Yours?” _She probably lived somewhere here._

“Nah,” The woman stated, her face blank. _Well, then..._

“Ugh, okay… mine, I guess…” She said weakly.

“Will you be doing dinner?”

_This woman I swear…_

“I might. I have a question, though.”

“Shoot,” Maggie said, looking at her shoe critically, as if it offended her. Kara didn’t even have the energy to wonder why.

She fixed her glasses, flustered. She didn’t really know why she felt that way. Maybe it was because of the atmosphere hanging around them, which made her think that the other woman is in some sort in a hurry and, somehow, so is she. Or should be.

_No chit chat then, huh. Maybe she will warm up to me later._

“Why all those oranges?”

She saw a faint pink on Maggie’s cheeks. The other woman looked her in the eyes.

“A bet…” She said shrugging.

_Ah, so she can be more human. She just needed a little warm-up, perhaps. Maybe we will get along just fine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you see any errors please tell me. Or if this whole story sucks. Then also tell me. Anyways, thanks fo reading? Have a lovely day.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks. Tumblr: @deventis, you can hmu. I appreciate constructive criticism, be gentle tho english is not my first language so there may be some mistakes. Have a nice day:)


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